Politics

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NEWS 10/1/25 1:32pm

Gov. Stein signs executive order to implement AI in North Carolina government

By Trista Panagakos

As artificial intelligence becomes more prominent in the lives of students, workers and everyday citizens, the North Carolina state government is tapping into the transformative technology. Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order Sept. 2 that focused on how artificial intelligence can enhance the state government and technology sector of North Carolina. The executive order established an AI leadership council, an AI accelerator, oversight teams for each state agency and training programs for AI literacy and fraud prevention.

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NEWS 9/30/25 11:43am

Elon Town Council discusses a new pump station through Gibsonville, new retirement benefits, updates on new appointments

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon Town Council discussed retirement benefits, new parking available for community establishments and an additional education awareness in Beth Schmidt Park during their meeting on Sept. 29. Elon Town Council is planning to give employees who have served for over 25 years a $5,000 retirement bonus.  “The fact that we have people that have given their whole careers to a town, this is the least that we can do for them, is to show them that we appreciate all the hard work that they've done and that they have made a commitment to this community,” Council member Stephanie Bourland said.

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NEWS 9/24/25 6:56pm

Elon’s Student Government Association helps fund HealthEU rock wall

By Fiona McAllister

As Elon University's new HealthEU building is growing from the ground up, Elon’s Student Government Association lended a huge helping hand in making it happen: $250,000 to be exact. A record signed on March 13, 2025, states that the Vice President of Student Life, Jon Dooley, approached SGA asking for funds to contribute to the rock wall that will go into HealthEU. SGA offered to match a $250,000 donation to total a donation of $500,000. In this record, it states that Dooley would honor this commitment by permanently naming an area of the HealthEU building for SGA. 

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NEWS 9/22/25 7:04pm

Charlie Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University sparks online threats, free speech debates

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, setting off waves of shock and speculation across multiple social media platforms. That same night and into the next morning, anonymous posts on social platforms like Fizz and YikYak appeared, with some sending love, but others sending political shame or threats. “In anonymous apps, some of the questions relate to ‘how public is this speech?’” Director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center Lee Rainie said. 

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NEWS 9/22/25 12:46pm

Elon Town Council to give bonuses for staff with college degrees

By Miles Hayford

The Elon Town Council will now give out annual bonuses to any municipal staff member with a college degree that exceeds the minimum requirements of their position, one of many recruiting techniques that the town is employing to stay competitive with other communities. “We have been working for the last several years on rewarding employees for going beyond the minimum,” Elon Town Manager Rich Roedner said. “We're working to try and identify those types of certificates or skill sets that are not just part of the everyday job, but mark somebody from being a step above deserving of a financial bonus.”

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NEWS 9/21/25 10:46pm

Students, community members attend Charlie Kirk vigil at Elon University

By Miles Hayford

Candles, flowers and American flags were strewn across a table set up at Medallion Plaza, honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk during the College Republicans’ vigil for Kirk at Elon University. The Elon College Republicans hosted the event along with students planning to organize a Turning Point USA at Elon. Junior Parker Stevens, a new member of the College Republicans, led a prayer for both Kirk and his family, but also for forgiveness for Kirk’s killer. “This is where we need to speak. Universities are supposed to be places where we can come and we can talk about different opinions,” Stevens said.

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NEWS 9/21/25 4:57pm

Elon University student organizations react to new funding request model

By Trista Panagakos

As student organizations prepare to host events and welcome new members, many have already been affected by the new funding model the Student Government Association is utilizing for funding requests. SGA receives a portion of the student activity fees students are charged to distribute to organizations.  The funding request model was changed last spring to follow a quarterly system, where organizations will have to request money in advance for events and celebrations they wish to hold. The previous model allowed for organizations to request funds on a rolling basis. 

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NEWS 9/19/25 2:12pm

Elon University students react to death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk

By Fiona McAllister

Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Kirk had built a reputation for traveling both across the United States and internationally to engage in debates at colleges and universities as well as starting Turning Point USA, a group originally started by Kirk that aims to promote conservative politics to young people. His death has sparked reflection among students at Elon University about the role of political discourse and gun control.

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NEWS 9/19/25 12:23am

Elon University president answers questions about Queens University of Charlotte merger

By Fiona McAllister

Elon University President Connie Book answered questions from Elon’s Student Government Association about the potential merger with Queens University on Sept. 18 and how it will affect sports, potential transfer students and staff. Book said this idea began at the beginning of this academic year as she was visiting other colleges and universities in the area. Book said she is looking to gauge more questions and feedback about this potential merger from students and staff. In addition to Book answering questions about the merger with Queens, Elon class of 2029 senators, president and treasurer were also sworn in at the meeting.

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NEWS 9/18/25 1:18pm

Puestos municipales en juego para las elecciones de noviembre

By Miles Hayford

Los preparativos para las elecciones municipales del condado de Alamance de noviembre están en marcha, y la inscripción de candidatos ya está completa a medida que se acerca el día de las elecciones. El voto en ausencia por correo comienza el 3 de octubre y la votación anticipada el 16 de octubre, según la Junta Electoral de Alamance. La votación por correo finaliza a las 5 p. m. del 21 de octubre y la votación anticipada a las 3 p. m. del 1 de noviembre. El registro de votantes para las elecciones de noviembre cierra el 10 de octubre a las 5 p. m.

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NEWS 9/18/25 1:18pm

Municipal positions up for grabs in November elections

By Miles Hayford

Preparations for the Alamance County municipal elections this November are underway, with all candidate filing finalized as Election Day inches closer. Absentee voting by mail begins Oct. 3 and early voting begins Oct. 16, according to the Alamance Board of Elections. Voting by mail ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 21 and early voting ends at 3 p.m. Nov. 1. Voter registration for the November election closes Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. To find out what voting precinct you live in and the available polling locations, visit the Alamance Board of Elections’ website.

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NEWS 9/15/25 11:06pm

NC College Voter Summit returns to Elon, encourages voting in local elections

By Kate Gray

The 10th annual NC College Voter Summit was held at Elon University and involved students and staff from 16 schools across the state. It was co-organized and co-sponsored by members of the NC Campus Voting Coalition. “A lot of college students, especially if they're not from the city or the state that they're going to college in, might feel like they don't necessarily have a role to vote in that community,” Samantha Delap said, a program coordinator for North Carolina Campus Engagement. “That's not true, because it's your electricity bill, it's the sidewalks that you walk on."

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NEWS 9/15/25 10:07pm

Alamance County Commissioners approve ABSS grant applications, consider health department consolidation

By Miles Hayford

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners approved five applications for needs-based grants to the Alamance-Burlington School System and decided to move forward with a plan to consolidate the county’s health department. The grants, which ask for funding from the state, include one for a roofing project at Southern Alamance Middle School that would cost the county $700,000 because the county must match 25% in funding of the total project cost. The four other grants were for heating, ventilation and air conditioning repairs at Southern Alamance High School, Western Alamance High School, Graham Middle School and Eastern Alamance High School.

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NEWS 9/11/25 7:31pm

“GOD BLESS CHARLIE KIRK”; a poster for the conservative activist appears on West Haggard

By Fiona McAllister

A poster with the words “GOD BLESS CHARLIE KIRK” appeared on the corner of West Haggard and North Williamson Avenue on Sept. 11 following the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10. Kirk died after being shot in the neck, according to a statement from Turning Point USA. In the evening the poster was covered by pieces of paper with statements including “Kirk said he doesn’t believe in empathy” and “Care like this when it’s a 3rd grade classroom”.

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NEWS 9/11/25 9:10am

Alamance County sheriff to seek 7th term, faces first potential opposition in GOP since 2002

By Nia Bedard

As Alamance County and the towns within prepare for municipal elections on Nov. 4, Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson sets his sights on his seventh term in the position, running for reelection in North Carolina primary elections March 3, 2026. As the 75-year-old incumbent prepares to run for his seventh term, he is potentially facing opposition from two candidates from his own party — a challenge he hasn’t faced since his very first election. Filing for the North Carolina primary elections will open on Dec. 1. 

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NEWS 9/11/25 9:03am

El Sheriff del condado de Alamance buscará su séptimo mandato, enfrentándose a su primera posible oposición en el Partido Republicano desde 2002

By Nia Bedard

A medida que el condado de Alamance y sus municipios se preparan para las elecciones municipales del 4 de noviembre, el sheriff Terry Johnson ya piensa en un reto mayor: buscar un séptimo mandato en el cargo, con las elecciones primarias de Carolina del Norte programadas para el 3 de marzo de 2026.  Johnson fue elegido por primera vez en 2002 y ha ocupado el puesto durante 23 años. Ahora, a sus 75 años, se prepara para otra campaña, aunque esta vez podría enfrentar oposición desde dentro de su propio partido, algo que no ha ocurrido desde su primera elección. 

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NEWS 9/9/25 9:01pm

East Haggard Avenue to close for 9 days, per Elon Town Council

By Miles Hayford

During their meeting on Sept. 9, Elon Town Council discussed an annexation petition to expand the town’s corporate limits, a resolution to sell two police vehicles and updates on town projects such as the construction on East Haggard Avenue – which will be closed during the day for nine days. Construction will begin on Sept. 11 and end on Sept. 23. A portion of the road will be closed each day, but it will be open during evenings and weekends. Both lanes of traffic will be closed. 

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NEWS 9/7/25 1:33pm

North Carolina sues FEMA over freeze of $200 million infrastructure funding after severe storm season

By Alice Morrissey

Throughout the summer months, Elon students received more than 40 e alerts warning of power outages, severe weather and flood watches. North Carolina’s typical wet season was made even more tempestuous by storms such as Tropical Storm Chantal, which swept across the state. The storm raised concerns among North Carolina residents not only about damage but also about the freeze of federal disaster relief funds promised by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed a lawsuit against FEMA over its decision to cancel a program that provides more than $200 million to protect the state’s infrastructure. 

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NEWS 9/5/25 5:36pm

Elon University SGA announces priorities for the year in first meeting of semester

By Trista Panagakos

The Student Government Association held their first meeting of the semester, which brought the executive council, made up of Executive President Anya Bratić, Vice President Sammy Azúa, Vice President of Communications Kennedy Steiner, Vice President of Finance Ian Brecker and Speaker of the Senate Selma Maric in front of the senate to detail the five priorities they worked on over the summer. “In several years past with other execs, we’ve had really, really, wonderful priorities, but not one that necessarily been all cohesive and or surrounded around one another. That’s where we really succeeded. This year we decided that it was really important for us to all have a common goal.” 

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NEWS 9/4/25 8:07am

Sin una red: la ayuda federal en caso de desastre en Carolina del Norte se agota

By Miles Hayford

Mientras Carolina del Norte continúa recuperándose del Huracán Helene y ahora responde a la temporada de huracanes de 2025, la ayuda federal se ha convertido en un tema de conflicto entre las autoridades federales y estatales. Con tormentas como la Tormenta Tropical Chantal y el Huracán Erin causando más daños en el estado, el gobernador Josh Stein ha exigido más ayuda federal por desastres. Carolina del Norte ha tenido dificultades para obtener los fondos que desea del gobierno federal en la aftermath del Huracán Helene de 2024.

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